NCAA Scouting - Player Profile:
Calais Campbell, DE
by Ben Stockwell
8/3/2008
 
Campbell is a rare physical specimen who is well filled out (291lbs) on a tall frame (6'8). As with many of these prospects being profiled by the Diner currently he was a decorated high school athlete and a highly recruited athlete coming out of high school. He was the 11th ranked football player by Super Prep in 2003 and was also a standout basketball player and athlete (qualified for the State meet in Discus and Shot Put) at South High School (Denver, CO). A talented athlete who didn't quite fulfil his outstanding athletic potential at the collegiate level (though he was still a leader and key cog of some excellent Hurricane defences), but he still holds outstanding athletic ability on a massive frame that will make pro scouts' mouths water.
 
What we like about Campbell
 
Campbell is an outstanding athlete who with the right coaching can become an elite talent at defensive end. He is a physical, athletic specimen with a frame that is well filled out already. Explosive and fluid off the line in his pass rush and has quick reactions to misdirection plays. Shows good lateral speed as well chasing plays down the line of scrimmage and has the smarts to read blocks and know how to break down screens, sweeps and other blocking schemes. With his long arms he is able to maximise his limited pass rush moves and keep blockers out of his body, maximising his leverage and his change of direction speed to beat blockers in space. When he uses correct technique, in combination with his outstanding frame he is very difficult to block off of the edge.
 
Question marks over
 
The main concern to come to light in recent weeks was an extremely poor combine performance, looking slow and sluggish in position drills, running over five seconds in the 40 yard dash and managing less than 20 lifts in the bench press is a performance that could severely dent his draft stock, especially when compared with how players like Lawrence Jackson of USC performed during the week. This combined with a fairly average junior season that failed to capitalise on his outstanding sophomore season will worry scouts. As with many athletic specimens at the college level he is prone to laziness with his technique, relying too much on his superior athletic talent to make plays, this obviously won't be enough in the NFL.
 
Highlights of his College Career
 
His sophomore season in 2006; he registered 10.5 sacks to tie for 8th place in school history for sacks in a single season. In the same season he became the 16th player in Atlantic Coast Conference to register 20 tackles for loss, joining an elite list of players such as Lawrence “LT” Taylor (UNC, 1980), William “Fridge” Perry (Clemson, 1984), Julius Peppers (UNC, 2000) and Mario Williams (NC State, 2005). An outstanding season that had him listed amongst some of the luminaries of ACC and NFL history.
 
Other Snippets of Info

• All ACC selection in his sophomore season.

• Miami Hurricanes team MVP in his sophomore season.

• Compares to Julius Peppers on a good day, if he has too many bad days he could turn into an Ebenezer Ekuban type of disappointment.

• Good fits – Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings.